Selecting and Testing Seed Corn 



The time to select seed corn is in the fall after the 

 grain is thoroughly ripe, and the selection should be made 

 in the field. This method enables one to know exactly 

 the kind of stalk which produced the ear and to avoid 

 those stalks which, although they may have borne one 

 good ear, indicate by their general appearance that they 

 would not reproduce a perfect stand the next season. 



Seed corn selection is one of the most important de- 

 tails of growing the crop. It must be undertaken in 

 a systematic manner, because slipshod and uncertain 

 methods will only result in disappointment and failure. 



Really seed corn should be raised on specially prepared 

 ground from pedigreed seed, and this work should be 

 undertaken at planting time. 



When the corn is thoroughly ripe in the field the selec- 

 tion should be made by taking a row at a time and pick- 

 ing only those ears which come up to a certain standard 

 fixed beforehand. 



In the selection of the standard the farmer must make 

 up his mind in advance whether he wants a large, coarse 

 stalk with the ear high from the ground, or a smaller, 

 stout stalk with the ear lower down. 



If he desires a large ear with coarse grains, or a 

 medium-sized ear with the grains compactly set, he must 

 make his selections accordingly. 



Right here, however, the selector is warned against 

 a very common mistake — that is picking ears of abnormal 

 size or appearance. If he wants a large ear with coarse 

 and loosely set grains he may find an occasional ear 

 bearing these characteristics in a very marked degree, 



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